Bike Check Wednesday with Matt Wilhelm

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Bike Check Wednesday with Matt Wilhelm

Matt Wilhelm Bike Check Riding Photo Hoffman Bikes

Bike Check Wednesday with Matt Wilhelm

We have a great Bike Check Wednesday with Matt Wilhelm this week. Matt Wilhelm is one of the coolest riders you will ever meet and as one of the best styles in bmx flatland. Matt Wilhelm is also one of the busiest bmx flatlanders out there. He performs hundreds of shows at schools all over the USA and doing up to 4 to 5 forty minutes shows every day for 5 days a week will put a toll on anyone’s bike. But, if you look at Matt’s bike you will notice that some of his parts are old, really old. We decided to catch up with Matt Wilhelm and see how is current set up is doing and why for all the old parts. Here is bike check Wednesday with Matt Wilhelm. enjoy!

How long have you been riding this setup?
I have been riding this frame since November or December 2014. However, all the other parts on the bike are old… like really old. Many of the parts have even been discontinued such as the handlebars, forks, front hub, rear hub, 48-spoke rims in general, front brake, and I’m probably forgetting another one or two.

My tricks are consistent with these parts and this setup. I don’t feel the need to constantly be changing out parts, and trying to get used to something new only to find that I liked my old setup better. I don’t care about what’s trendy. People used to make fun of me for riding tall bars back at my first pro comp in 2000. Now tall bars are the trend. Just be yourself and ride the parts you want to ride.

Do you modify any parts or frame?

I cut down the handlebars. I also put athletic tape on the seat rails and brake levers for comfort. I put electrical tape around one of the front brake springs because my jeans were getting hung up on one trick.

What part do you spend the most time on to make sure it’s dialed in?

My bike is super dialed, and fortunately I don’t spend much time working on it. I will grease my freecoaster every once in a while, but I can usually just set it and forget it for a few months.

You do a ton of school shows. Do you use any special tires to insure you don’t scuff the floor?

Usually my black tires are fine on the floors. However there is a specific kind of rubber floor that my black tires will leave marks all over. When I’m done doing a spinning combo it looks like a Spirograph of tire marks. I have a separate identical bike with white tires just for this specific type of floor. It’s also a good idea to have a back up bike for that occasional flat tire.

How does the weight of your bike play a role in your riding?

Having a lighter bike helps, but it’s not everything. I spent my teenage years on a 40-pound Standard Shorty, so having a lighter bike makes things a little easier. I am so tired of hearing kids say they can’t do certain tricks because their bike is too heavy. The bikes now are way lighter than when I was growing up so these kids need to find a new excuse.

What is the one part you find yourself having to replace regular? And why?
I replace tires the most, especially during the summer when I’m riding outside. However I think I’ve gone this entire winter on the same set of tires. My new warehouse has the best floor ever so the tires don’t wear down.

Bike Check Wednesday with Matt Wilhelm

Frame: Hoffman Bikes Strowler
Forks: Odyssey CS2 Flat Forks
Bars: Quamen Hiro Bars
Stem: Colony 35mm reach
Headset: Whatever is on sale
Grips: Odi Long Necks
Cranks: Profile 160mm Ti Spindle
Chain: Cult
Sprocket: Profile 23t
Pedals: Animal Hamilton PC
Bottom Bracket: Whatever is on sale
Seat: KHE Watanabe
Seat Post: Thompson
Front Hub: Suelo 48 hole
Front Rim: Hoffman Generator
Rear Hub: Nankai Bamboo
Rear Rim: Hoffman Generator
Front Hub Guard: None
Rear Hub Guard: None
Front Tire: Ares A-Class 1.75
Rear Tire: Ares A-Class 1.75
Pegs: Tree Big Balsa
Brakes: Fly / Suelo
Levers: Dia Comp Tech 77
Gyro: Odyssey

Check out Matt Wilhelms webiste http://probikeshows.com/ and see what his shows are all about.